Building structures



Nov. 18, 1958 R. c. KENDALL BUILDING STRUCTURES Original Filed June 2'7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l JV/K ATTORNEYS Nov. 18, 1958 R. c. KENDALL BUILDING STRUCTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 2'7, 1950 Fig.5.

INVENTOR. v

fir C @WH fi c24 ATTORNEYS Unite States atent O BUHJDIN G STRUtITUlRES Roy C. Kendall, Sylvania, Ohio, assignor to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of (Mario Continuation of abandoned application Serial No. 170,553, June 27, 1950. This application April 27, 1955, Serial No. 504,310

3 Claims. (Cl. 72- -16) shaping or fitting of parts in the field.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction utilizing a horizontal joint wherein the same member performs both the function of fastening two adjacent structural units and the function of a protective weather strip.

Another object of my invention is to provide aconstruction utilizing a vertical joint wherein the same member performs both the function of spacing and the function of fastening two adjacent structural units.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction wherein the joints permit expansion and contraction of the structural units without affecting the effectiveness of the construction.

/ Referring to the accompanying drawings: I Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevational view of the wall construction, parts being broken away;

' Fig. 2 is a sectional view at the line 22 on Fig. 1;

1" Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the vertical l joint between adjacent slabs;

i Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 and shows a modified form of the vertical joint;

. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of a portion 1 of the vertical joint shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a part-sectional perspective view of the hori zontal joint;

' Fig. 8 is a sectional view at the line 8---% on Fig. 4; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view at the line 9-9 on Fig. 5. 1

Basically, my invention comprises a wall including a frameworkof equally spaced uprights, structural units of suificient length to bridge the spaces between said uprights and preferably rectangular in shape, and means for securing said units to said framework and to one another to form a wall which is fireproof, weatherproof and verminproof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the metal framework for my construction comprises vertical members 12 having a T-section and being fastened to a concrete foundation 11 by bolts set in the foundation. Uprights having a smaller T-section are equally spaced intermediate the vertical members 12. A horizontal I-beam 13 extends across the tops of the members 12 and uprights 10, and diagonal braces 14 are provided to increase the rigidity of the framework. Cross members 15 in the form of I-beams 2,860,503 Patented Nov. 18, 1958 extend between parallel sections of the framework and form the purlins of the roof construction.

Structural units 16 are placed against the framework and are fastened to the framework and to each other by horizontal and vertical joints hereinafter described. These units 16 are in the form of rectangular slabs and are made of materials which are fireproof, weatherproof, and verminproof, such as hydrous calcium silicate with a laminated facing 16av of asbestos cement (Fig. 3). The units 16 are of sufiicient length to extend between adjacent uprights. The horizontal edge faces of the units 16 form a part of the horizontal joint and are formed with a. trapezoidal groove 17 running longitudinally throughout the length of the unit, the widest portion of the trapezoidal groove being nearest to the horizontal edge face of the unit (Fig. 7). The vertical edge faces of the units are flat.

As a structural unit is placed into position betweenthe uprights, the formation of the horizontal joint is begun by placement of a spline 18 into the trapezoidal groove 17 of the unit (Fig. 7). A locking strip 19 of thin resilient sheet metal or other material is then placed over the spline 18 and the upper edge face of the unit. The locking strip 19 extends over the entire length of the unit and'is formedwith a trapezoidal portion 21, a horizontal portion 22, and an outwardly and downwardly extending lip 23' (Fig. 7 The thickness of the spline is greater than thewidth' of the base of the groove 17 resultingin a wedgingaction when the units are brought together over the spline. The sides 24. and 25 ofthe trapezoidal portion 21 have a lesser slope than the sides of the-trapezoidal groove 17 so that they will be compressed andincrease the wedgingaction when a second structural unit is brought into position over the first unit to complete. the horizontal'joint (Fig. 7). After'the joint is completed the lip 23 will extend downwardlyfrom the joint to form a weather strip.

Referring to Fig. 3,-the vertical joint includes an insulating board 26 adjacent to thevertical member 10 and'pref, erably extending over the entire length of the member. This board is'rnade of material such as, gypsum and is positionedon the members 10 as the first step inthe construction of the wall. Steel bolts. 27=are welded to the uprights and project through holes in the insulating strip 26 and extend into the spaces between adjacent. structural units 16. A bracket 28' of thin metalis positioned over the bolts 27"to space andlock the structural unitslin position as-presently described.

i As shown in Fig. 3, the central portion 29 of the bracket 28 is in the form ofa. Uiand thev outer portions-30 extend outwardly away from the, central; portion andforrna flange. The central portion of the bracket-is-provided with openings, the metal surroundingthe openingsbeing slitted' to form what is. commonly known as a speed fastening 31. This construction permits the bracket to be pushed onto the bolts, locking the structural units between the upright 10 and'the. outer portions 30 of the bracket. It should be'noted thatthe width ofthe. central or U portion 29 of the bracket is such as to space the structural units 16 equally on either side: of. the bolts 27. The U.- shape also permits theuse of shorter bolts. 27. Individual disks 32 may be used to provide a double lock. These disks have .a diameter greater than the width of the U portion 29 and'are. provided with openings and are slitted to form a speed'fastening'. corrugations 33 may also be provided to insure abetter grip between the bracket and the. structural units '16lby making. the outer flange portions'30 of the bracket 28 more rigid.

The vertical jointislcompleted by the placing of, a molding strip 34 which extends overthe-entirevertical dimension of the wall. As shown in Fig-.65. th6;;6. gQ;P01 tions of the molding strip are curved inwardly to press against the outer portions 30 of the bracket and against the structural units, thereby forming a vertical seal extending over the entire height of the wall. The efiectiveness of this seal may be increased by the addition of a sealing compound 35, which may be extruded onto the molding strip at the time of fabrication of the molding providing a self-seal at the time of assembly.

The molding may be placed in position by inserting at the top of the wall andsliding it downward, the edges of the molding being positioned between the outer portions 30 of the brackets and the faces of the structural units. The molding may also be placed by snapping it in position over the outer portions 30 of the brackets.

A modified form of my invention is shown in Figs. 5 and 9. In this form, each bracket is replaced by two circular fasteners 36. Each of these fasteners includes a cylindrical shaped central portion 37 formed with a speed fastening opening at its center and an outwardly extending flange 38 surrounding the open end of the cylindrical portion. Since each fastener 36 is individual to each bolt, there is no need to place the bolts with as great an accuracy as in the other form of my invention wherein the bolts must be aligned with the several holes in each of the brackets 28. As each fastener 36 is pushed into position it spaces and locks the adjacent units into position. The molding is placed in the same manner as in the other form of my invention.

I have found that the resultant structure is fireproof, weatherproof and verminproof. The structural units 16 which are used require a minimum of shaping at the manufacturing point since only a groove 17 is needed in the otherwise rectangular unit. The structure may be assembled easily and quickly with little or no shaping or fitting.

A further advantage and saving in the manufacture and assembly of the parts is that the same member 19 not only aids in the formation of the horizontal joint, but also forms a weather strip or lip 23, and the bracket 28 or disk 36 not only spaces the structural units, but also locks them in position.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A building wall structure comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical metal uprights joined at their upper and lower ends by horizontal cross members and stabilized by vertically extending diagonal braces, rectangular slabs of building material, said slabs extending horizontally along the length of said wall and between said vertical uprights, said slabs being vertically disposed one on top of the other, the horizontal joint between said slabs comprising opposing trapezoidal grooves formed in and extending longitudinally along the adjacent horizontal edges of the slabs, a locking spline positioned in and wedged into said trapezoidal grooves and extending into andthrough the vertical joints between adjacent slabs, a thin resilient strip having portions of its cross-sectional shape conforming to the configuration of the sides of said groove and an intermediate portion conforming to the top of said spline, said strip being wedged in said groove and over said spline, a further cross-sectional portion of said strip extending between the adjacent horizontal outer edges of said slabs and projecting outwardly and downwardly from the outer vertical face of said slabs to form a weather strip, said strip extending through the length of each slab, bolting means formed upon said vertical metal uprights and extending outwardly between adjacent slabs, a holding bracket attached to each of said bolting means and engaging exterior portions of the adjacent slabs and thereby holding said slabs in position against the respective vertical metal upright, and a curved covering strip mounted upon said brackets, said covering strip in sealing engagement with the vertically disposed edge portions of adjacent slabs.

2. A building wall structure comprising a plurality of groups of horizontally spaced vertical metal uprights joined at their upper and lower ends by horizontal cross members and stabilized by vertically extending diagonal braces, rectangular slabs of building material, each slab having a length greater than the space between pairs of said uprights, said slabs extending along the length of and between said groups of uprights and vertically disposed one on top of the other, the horizontal joint between said slabs comprising opposing locking trapezoidal grooves formed in and extending longitudinally through the length of the wall and along the adjacent edges of the slabs, a locking spline extending vertically into the opposing grooves and wedged therein, a strip of thin resilient weather-proof material placed between the slabs and over the top edge of said spline, said strip having portions of its cross-sectional shape confroming to the configuration of the sides -of said groove, said portions of said strip 1 being compressed about said spline by the sides of the top groove, a further portion of said strip extending between the adjacent horizontal edges of the slabs and projecting outwardly of and downwardly from the outer vertical face of the wall to form a weather strip, said strip extending only through the length of each slab of the wall, bolting means formed upon said vertical metal uprights and extending outwardly between adjacent slabs, a holding bracket attached to each of said bolting means j and engaging exterior portions of the adjacent slabs and thereby holding said slabs in position against the respective vertical metal upright, and a curved covering member extending along the vertical joints between said slabs and mounted upon said brackets, said covering member sealing said vertical joints. i

3. A building wall structure comprising horizontally spaced vertical metal uprights, rectangular slabs of fireproof building material, each slab being of a length greater than the space between said uprights, said slabs extending between said uprights and arranged one on top of the other in vertical rows, the horizontal joint between said slabs comprising opposing trapezoidal grooves formed in and extending longitudinally along the adjacent edges of the slabs, a locking spline interconnecting and wedged into said grooves and extending through the joint between the adjacent vertical rows of slabs, a strip of thin resilient metal spacing said slabs vertically and extending over the top edge of said spline and through the length of each slab, the inner portion of said strip having about the same configuration as said groove, the sides of said inner portion being bent and compressed by the sides of the opposing groove when said slabs are assembled over said spline and said strip, another portion of said strip extending between the adjacent horizontal edges of the slabs and projecting outwardly of and downward from the outer vertical face of the wall to form a weather strip, bolting means formed upon said vertical metal uprights and extending outwardly between adjacent slabs, a holding bracket attached to each of said bolting means and engaging exterior portions of the adjacent slabs and thereby holding said slabs in position against the respective vertical metal upright, and a vertically disposed curved member mounted on said holding brackets, said member extending along the vertical joint between the adjacent vertical rows of slabs and sealing said vertical joint. 4

References Cited in the file of this patent 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain of 19461 

